Jim CheesmanWilliamstown, Kentucky1989 Convertible
My Corvette experience began in November 1991 when I purchased my '89 medium blue metallic roadster from my local Chevy dealer. Like so many others, I had long dreamed of owning a Corvette. My wife Donna had joked that we could get one when I turned 50. As it turned out I was able to beat that by several years.
It started when I unexpectedly received a Corvette magazine in the mail that should have been a Mustang performance magazine. I later learned that a mistake had been made with the mailing lists. Reading through that issue really started me thinking about Corvettes. It also contained a price guide that would be the key to what came next.
I fell in love with the blue roadster when I first saw it in the dealer's showroom. After many discussions with my wife about the possibility of aquiring this car, several visits to the dealer, and running the numbers (with that price guide in hand), a deal was struck, my Mustang went, and I drove the blue convertible home.
A lot has transpired in the past eight years. We've built a new home and have journeyed through a busy family life with two kids growing up, the demands of school functions, various sports, and band practices, all requiring the mainstream minivan and four-door family sedan. I believe I am fortunate to be able to own a Corvette during these times without an adverse effect on family priorities.
My boys, Jameson and Jacob, now 15 and 10, used to be unable to see out of the car without using a pillow. I recall them watching the tops of passing utility poles, craning to see out, or intently taking in the sound and feel as I ran through the gears. They enjoyed watching the digital instrument cluster change and undulate at night. Once, Jameson informed me that I'd better get gas as I only had two "sticks" left, referring to the LCD fuel gauge. When it's necessary for Dad to pick them up from school, its always "Pick me up in the Vette!" I have a grown son, Collin, who lives and works in Arkansas. During visits he enjoys driving the Vette, and has entertained the idea of buying one too
I've always enjoyed making modifications to my cars. At first I didn't consider it with the Vette, but alas, over time I found myself making small changes. I inhaled L98 performance articles. To date I have performed most of the standard tricks: open filter cover, screens and fins removed from the MAF, underdrive pulley, 21/2-inch front Y-pipe, Random catalyst, and 1.6 ratio rockers. It took a couple of trips to the National Corvette Home-coming events in Bowling Green and watching guys drag race their Vettes before I decided to try it. On a Saturday during one of those events I won my "class," to my surprise, with a consistent string of 13.80s and good reaction times. After a pairing during eliminations the next day, I was perplexed when the timeslip declared me the winner. As I pulled back into the staging lanes the track officials wasted no time coming to tell me there had been a mistake with the dial-ins. I don't recall the details, but the young lady in the LT1 coupe had indeed beat me to the finish line. I was out.
I went back two years ago after adding a couple of more modifications and subtracting some weight from the car. I was sure I could go 13.50s. It ran 13.72 at 104 mph, an improvement of 2 mph, but the 60-foot times were off .15 seconds from my previous outing. Maybe I had removed too much weight from the rear or had too much air in the BFG drag radials. Anyway, it was a hoot!
I have added some interesting things to my car. I tried aftermarket mufflers but found difficulty living with them, so I modified the factory muffler outlets and added vacuum-actuated butterflies. These operate manually or open automatically if the engine reaches a preset rpm, allowing an aggressive exhaust note or factory quiet. A shift light incorporates a homemade electronic control, which automatically sequences through a different preset shift point for each gear. These gadgets, along with the MSD RPM switches under the hood, always garner attention at the track or car shows. Under the car is a gridwork consisting of 28 feet of 1-inch, .120-inch-wall square tubing welded to the factory X-brace. The enhanced brace still bolts in, clears everything, and does not protrude lower than the factory intended.
A lifelong friend accompanied me one summer on a Bowling Green pilgrimage. Shortly after hitting the expressway I heard an unusual noise. Pulling over, we found that the VelcroTM on the nose bra was loose and the flapping had scuffed the clearcoat on the hood's leading edge. As I stood there ranting about my failure to properly attach the VelcroTM and marring the finish, my friend Dave calmly said "It's okay, Jim, I'm here for you." An unusual but very supportive statement, I thought. Tragically, less than a year later my friend passed away. That loss made me stop and take inward reflection of what is truly important. The scuff marks on my hood are still there but they don't concern me anymore. I wouldn't trade them for a perfect finish, for when I see them I think of Dave, and for me, he's still there.
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